Back to School, Back to YOU!

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Now that kids are back in school, it’s a great opportunity to focus on you and your health and fitness.  At Northwest Personal Training, we know that….

……committing to a health and fitness program is as much mental as it is physical.

Setting up your lifestyle to promote success is key. Figuring out which activity you like best and how/when you will fit it in are important steps to a long term commitment. One step we have each client complete is signing off on a Fitness & Training Makeover Commitment. Here is what it looks like. Feel free to use it as is or edit it as needed to make the commitment you are ready and willing to make. Then post it somewhere so you can regularly refer to and to help keep you motivated.

Fitness & Training Makeover Commitment

The purpose of this agreement is to serve as a reminder of the commitment that you have made to yourself and to provide a list of the health behaviors that will help you achieve your goals. You have made one of the best decisions of your life!

An Optimal Health and Fitness Program includes:

• Exercising aerobically 3-6 days each week for 20-60 minutes each session at various levels of intensity.  Using a Heart rate monitor, FitBit or Smart Watch will keep you honest.  Activities like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, hiking, stair-climbing, or Group classes will do the trick.
• Conditioning your muscles with resistance training workouts for a minimum of two times per week. One set of 8-12 reps of a variety of exercises for 20-60 minutes is perfect!  A group muscle class or a workout with a trainer will make sure you meet this requirement.
• Eating a balanced diet that is high in fiber content.
• Eating 5 vegetable servings and 3 fruit servings each day.
• Drinking 10—8 ounce glasses of water each day.  Drink water before and with each meal and snack.
• Planning your meals so that you eat 3 small meals and 2 small snacks each day.  Try to eat every 3 hours.
• Avoiding eating anything high in fat or calories 3 hours before bedtime.
• Controlling portion sizes. Sometimes we are eating the right things but just eating too much of them. Making a conscious effort to reduce your portion sizes slowly enough so that you aren’t excessively hungry will help a lot.
• Eliminating any unhealthy temptations from your environment (work, home, car) and replacing with healthy alternatives.
• Grocery shopping at least once per week to stock up on healthy choices and fresh fruits and veggies
• Maintaining a more active daily lifestyle.  Move your body as much as you can in addition to your exercise program.  The International Journal of Obesity released a statistic that reported we expend an average of 500-800 fewer calories than we did a few decades ago because of our more sedentary lifestyle.  At Northwest Personal Training, we believe that all you have to do is start moving more in your life and then you won’t have to spend hours in the gym every week!
• Getting enough sleep (7-8 hours per night).  Sleep is when your body recovers and repairs.  If you do not sleep enough, you will be more likely to store fat, you will not be as prepared for your workouts and your body will not function as optimally.
• Controlling and managing your stress levels. Excessive stress can affect sleep and cause weight gai. Identify your stresses and outline methods that you can commit to that will help you reduce your stress.
• Completing an online Activity and Nutrition log every day and submitting it to someone to increase your accountability.
• Daily/Weekly weigh-ins and monthly measurements help to manage your progress if fat loss is your goal.

I promise to follow the above recommendations to the best of my ability.

Date:__________________   Signed:_______________________________________

Date:__________________   Witness Signature:______________________________

Note: Have someone witness your commitment who will support you through this process.  It will hold you accountable to your commitment and everyone can benefit from their own personal cheerleader!

Sherri McMillan, M.Sc. has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for over 25 years and has received numerous industry awards including International Personal Trainer and Fitness Presenter of the Year. She is the author of five books including “Go For Fit – the Winning Way to Fat Loss” and “Fit over Forty” and is the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs.  She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver and can be seen running, hiking or cycling with her two children, Brianna and Jackson.  She can be reached at www.nwPersonalTraining.com or www.ShapeupwithSherri.com

Note:  As an avid Columbian reader, you can redeem a 2 week pass at her world-class training studio to help get you started.  Contact 360.574.7292 for more details.